Narrated by Mike Vendetti and Kathy Verduin, Cat in the Rain is not just about a cat. The cat can be taken at face value and surface-level as "just" a cat, and the events of the story as being a minor snapshot into one hour's events in the lives of an American couple living in 1920s Italy. But since when in our own lives do events simply happen without having wider implications? Many things we do are motivated by other desires, drives, wants, fears, and anxieties.

F. Scott Fitzgerald published this captivating short story in 1926, a year after The Great Gatsby. One of his most famous short stories, Fitzgerald wrote “The Rich Boy” about one of his friends in the guise of a wealthy, old-money protagonist, Anson Hunter, and the effects of wealth on his character and thus with women, love, and life. It originally appeared in two parts, in the January and February 1926 issues of Redbook. “The Rich Boy” is a masterpiece of twentieth-century American fiction.

Mr. Putter is tired of living all alone, with no one to share his morning English muffins or his afternoon tea. He has many wonderful stories to tell, but no one to tell them to. What Mr. Putter needs is some good company. But good company is hard to find. This first adventure in award-winning author Cynthia Rylant's popular series introduces readers to a pair of friends who are just perfect for each other.

The Happy Prince is one of Oscar Wilde’s most beloved and poignant fairy tales, blending rich symbolism with a heartfelt narrative about compassion, sacrifice, and love. Set high above a city, the story follows a gilded statue—the Happy Prince—who once lived in luxury but now sees the suffering of the poor from his lofty perch. With the help of a kind-hearted Swallow, the Prince gives away all he has to bring joy and relief to the needy below.

Paul Auster's signature work, The New York Trilogy, consists of three interlocking novels: City of Glass, Ghosts, and The Locked Room - haunting and mysterious tales that move at the breathless pace of a thriller.

First published in 1843, it tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a mean and unpleasant man who dislikes people generally and Christmas especially. One Christmas Eve he is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come and given a glimpse of the many homes and lives which Scrooge has touched in his wretched life to date. After their visits, Scrooge is transformed into a kinder, gentler man.

The Happy Prince and Other Tales is a collection of five stories first published in 1888. Oscar Wilde said of these stories that "they are studies in prose, put for Romance's sake into a fanciful form: meant partly for children, and partly for those who have kept the childlike faculties of wonder and joy, and who find in simplicity a subtle strangeness." The five stories in this collection are "The Happy Prince", "The Nightingale and the Rose", "The Selfish Giant", "The Devoted Friend", and "The Remarkable Rocket".

In a world of distraction, overcommitment, and often overwhelming social expectations, are you craving depth, meaning, and true connection? Join Susan Cain, an international best-selling author on the power of introverts who will help you tune out all of your everyday stresses and conflicts and tune into living a Quiet Life. In seven steps, Susan will show you exactly how to lead your own Quiet Life. She’ll help you connect with the part of yourself that’s drawn to the quiet, the deep, the beautiful, and the kind.

珠玉の童話『幸福な王子』を英語で!19世紀の英国の作家オスカー・ワイルドの原作を基本語彙レベルに併せて再編集した英語の朗読です。数多くの名作を残したワイルドが最も愛した作品は、この『幸福な王子』であったといわれています。「本当に美しいものとは」、「本当の幸せとは」・・・シンプルで大切なテーマを含んだストーリー。英語で感動を味わってみませんか。 教科書・参考書出版の桐原書店は、ペンギンブックスやロングマンで有名な世界最大の教育出版社ピアソングループの一員でもあります。本格派の語学学習をはじめてみませんか。こちらは、世界の名作文学を、基本学習単語中心で再編集したオーディオブックです。英語力アップには、リスニング力強化が必須。英語を聞きながらイメージを頭に描くトレーニングは英語力の飛躍的なアップにも役立ちます。テキストを目で追うのではない、新しい語学学習法としてオーディオブックを活用してみませんか。心を動かす名作で、ビジネスマンも学生さんも、楽しみながら英語の底力を養ってください。 初中級者向け。 紙面でのスクリプトをご希望の方は、桐原書店サポート課 (ict@kirihara.co.jp) までお問い合わせください。(C)桐原書店

A poignant look at the disillusionment and angst of the post-World War I generation, the novel introduces two of Hemingway's most unforgettable characters: Jake Barnes and Lady Brett Ashley. The story follows the flamboyant Brett and the hapless Jake as they journey from the wild nightlife of 1920s Paris to the brutal bullfighting rings of Spain with a motley group of expatriates. It is an age of moral bankruptcy, spiritual dissolution, unrealized love and vanishing illusions.

Mary Lennox, a sickly and contrary little girl, is orphaned to dim prospects in a gloomy English manor - her only friend is a bed-ridden boy named Colin whose prospects may be dimmer than hers. But when Mary finds the key to a Secret Garden, the magical powers of transformation fall within her reach. A beloved classic of children's literature The Secret Garden tells an inspirational tale of transformation and empowerment.

若い頃よりむしろ歳をとってから上がってくる記憶力の話や、感情の老化による「決めつけ」が引き起こす判断ミスなど、生涯学習の魅力を多くの事例と共に語ります。(C)和田秀樹、慶應丸の内シティキャンパス

Narrator Dan Stevens ( Downton Abbey) presents an uncanny performance of Mary Shelley's timeless gothic novel, an epic battle between man and monster at its greatest literary pitch. In trying to create life, the young student Victor Frankenstein unleashes forces beyond his control, setting into motion a long and tragic chain of events that brings Victor to the very brink of madness. How he tries to destroy his creation, as it destroys everything Victor loves, is a powerful story of love, friendship, scientific hubris, and horror.

The Prince is one of the most influential and important early works of modern philosophy and political theory, essential listening for anyone who wants to understand the politics of power, with applicable lessons and cautionary tales for life, government, business, international and foreign affairs, and management.

Written in 1920 by the British author Hugh Lofting, the Doctor Dolittle books were a series of children's novels about a man who learns to talk to animals and becomes their champion around the world. It was one of the novels in the series which was adapted into the 1967 film Doctor Dolittle.

With all of the pluck and charm of its eponymous young hero, Rachel McAdams (The Notebook, Spotlight, Midnight in Paris) delivers a spectacular reading of Montgomery's beloved bildungsroman. In moments both funny and bittersweet, McAdams' voice is imbued with the spark that has made Anne a much-loved symbol of individualism and cheer for over a century.

Written by British-born author Frances Hodgson Burnett and first published in 1905, A Little Princess tells the story of young Sara Crewe, privileged daughter of a wealthy diamond merchant. All the other girls at Miss Minchin's school treat Sara as if she truly were a princess. But when Captain Crewe's fortune is sadly lost, Sara's luck changes. Suddenly she is treated no better than a scullery maid.

Fumio Sasaki changed his life when he became a minimalist. But before minimalism could really stick, he had to make it a habit. All of us live our lives based on the habits we’ve formed, from when we get up in the morning to what we eat and drink to how likely we are to actually make it to the gym. In Hello, Habits, Sasaki explains how we can acquire the new habits that we want - and get rid of the ones that don’t do us any good.

"The Little Prince" is a long story that in the format of books has beaten sales records in the world and in all languages ​​since 1943, when it was first published in French. Its pages evoke the most deeply rooted and essential values ​​of Humanism - in a simple and clear way - in which solidarity, kindness, integrity, tenacity, companionship and enthusiasm for knowledge are revealed.

Hold on to your hats for the conclusion of the celebrated trilogy, with a deadpan finale and a surprising new twist. The delicious buildup takes an unexpected turn that is sure to please loyal fans and newcomers alike.

The correspondence between Carrie Allsop and David Mayer reveals, piece by piece, the painful details of a devastating affair between their spouses. With each commiserating scratch of the pen, they confess their fears and bare their souls. They share the bewilderment over how things went so wrong and come to wonder where to go from here. Told entirely through the letters of two comforting strangers and those of two illicit lovers, Evidence of the Affair explores the complex nature of the heart. And ultimately, for one woman, how liberating it can be when it’s broken.

This classic adaptation of James Barrie's play tells the story of Peter Pan, a mischievous little boy who can fly, and his adventures on the island of Neverland with Wendy Darling and her brothers, the fairy Tinker Bell, the Lost Boys, and the pirate Captain Hook.

Blackstone Audiobooks presents, from the unabridged collection A.A. Milne's Pooh Classics, the 44 poems and verses from When We Were Very Young performed by Peter Dennis. This is the only reading of these delightful verses authorized by A.A. Milne's son, Christopher Robin.

Darren Shan and his best friend, Steve, get tickets to the Cirque du Freak, a wonderfully gothic freak show featuring weird, frightening half human/half animals who interact terrifyingly with the audience. In the midst of the excitement, true terror raises its head when Steve recognizes that one of the performers - Mr. Crepsley - is a vampire! Steve confronts the vampire after the show finishes - but his motives are surprising!

One of Jane Austen’s most beloved works, Pride and Prejudice, is vividly brought to life by Academy Award nominee Rosamund Pike ( Gone Girl). In her bright and energetic performance of this British classic, she expertly captures Austen’s signature wit and tone. Her attention to detail, her literary background, and her performance in the 2005 feature film version of the novel provide the perfect foundation from which to convey the story of Elizabeth Bennet, her four sisters, and the inimitable Mr. Darcy.